Hey all,
My girlfriend's mom want to buy her a truck for christmas. Her mom wants me to look it over with her. My girl friend is 16 in Febuary and is a strong young lady (driven my 1988 with no powersteering). Her mom doesn't want her having a super duty so I said why not a F150. Her mom agreed on that but we are looking at two trucks now. One is a 2004 F150 4x4 white with leather interior 5.4L triton V8 Lariat Pacakage and FX4 they are asking $15,200 for it but we could easily get them down. The other is a 2004 F150 XLT 4x4 6in lift 35 tires Leather interior and wood grain Forest green color 5.4L Triton V8 they are asking $18,800. My girl friend really like to tow things yet likes mudding so she isn't sure on which one she likes more. I personally think the white one is a better deal. Oh ya and both are crew cab short beds with spray in bed liner. I want her to drive around without problems happening alot. The white one has 99,586 miles while the green one has 91,835 miles. They all look like they were maintained very well. The white one has a tow package I am not sure about the green one. Her mom would make her get hay which they get about 12 bales a week so can these trucks carry that much. I know the triton V8 well (my mom had a 2006 2wd) I would be the one maintaning it for her.
Thanks,
Trav

 

I think for a driver of this age & experience both vehicles are too much for them to handle..while I can understand the off-roading enjoyment, it is likely to end in an ugly result.

 

I live in MA and around here the prices you are talking about would be at the high end of the price range for a 2004. The truck would have to be in exceptional shape to bring that kind of money.

 

There are some things to watch for on the 04's so may want to check deeper into both trucks and make sure they have been handled or how bad they are if the issues have presented themselves. The second truck also should not be that high. The 6" lift is great and the larger tires are nice but they add no value to the truck and the owner is making it out like they do. How many miles are on the trucks?


Also i think a responsible driver can handle these trucks fine and it sounds like your girl falls into that range.

 

yeah seems kinda high where im at too. a lift would be bad imho

 

For my girlfriend this isn't to much truck for her. The trucks she is looking at we canceled out they were to beet up. We now are looking at a 2006 F150 4x4 crew cab with 52000 miles all stock 5.4L Triton V8 and a greyish color. The delarship is asking $10,000 for this truck and they will flush the tranny, change the oil and plus throw in a camper shell even though she doesn't want it. This one I really see good in but we also would possibly like to go for a 2012 F150 crew cab but the price is a bit to much for her mom. The 2006 do they have any problems my mom had a 2wd one and it was good but she only had it one year. I really need help christmas is coming up fast.
Thanks,
Trav

 

Don't worry she has good experience driving. She has been driving her mom's 2001 Ford F350 4x4 crew cab since she was tweleve and plus driving a 1981 F250 flatbed with no powersteering since she was 14. She is fine for driving trust me. I am not worried about to much truck for her she could drive a rig if she wanted to. Thanks for your concern though.
Trav

 

Don't worry she is good we aren't go for the 04s I looked at them the had almost 100,000 miles I said ok but I looked at the body and the whole right side on the green one was ruined. The white one felt like the rear end was locking up. We are now looking at a 2006 which is in perfect shape. and oh ya she can handle theses I wish her mom would see that so that my girl could get a super duty she already drives her moms around there ranch.
Trav

 

Ok all so they sold the 2006 me and my girlfriend went to go see a few hours ago and they have one more 2006 F150. It is a 2006 F150 Lariat 4x4 crew cab FX4 Dark stone Metallic color with leather interior still pushing the 5.4L Triton V8 but asking $15,900 and has 108,146 miles I am in northern arizona so prices are quite a diffrence plus she needs the 4x4. The truck you can see pics if you go to shoptates.com and check there inventory. This truck has been on there lot for a couple of months so I think they can make out one good deal. I also have a question of what automatic climate control is. This truck has it and I have never heard of it. Oh ya and the truck has 18in alloy wheels. I would have to add a tow package as I believe there isn't one on this truck. My girlfriend does have younger siblings and she picks them up from school so she does need the crew cab.
Thanks for the help you guys have helped with.
Trav

 

The auto climate control works like a thermostat in a house. You set it at the temp of your choice and the climate control will automatically adjust the fan speed and temp. I went to the website you listed and looked at the truck. This truck doesn't have the auto climate control and it does not have the lariat package, just the FX4 off road package. The wheels on this truck are the same ones that I have and they are 20s, not 18s. It may have the tow package, most upper end F-150s come with it. You also may want to see what the truck blue books for. www.kbb.com

 

Wow that is a cool thing too have. So say if she has a push button start installed into this it will automatically set everything and all that. I am a sucker and went when she asked me to show her the next truck. She didn't get a very good look at it because it was dark and I wanted to get out of there before somebody saw me and said something to her mom when I came back with her but I think she really wants this one. I had to go the back way because there was a super duty out there and she is a sucker for super duties and like I said before her mom said no. Well I think we found her christmas present.
Trav

 

That is very subject to the individual. I had a 97 f250 with a 460 w/ 4.10s when i was 14-16 then i started driving my dads 05 SC f150. 0 wrecks, 0 speeding tickets, and about 150k between both trucks. Plus both of them were used on our ranch with extensive off roading. Being out in the hills in the snow and mud make you a better drive if you ask me. It teaches how to regain control when traction is lost and how not to lose traction.

But never mind that comment this thread isnt about the driver it is about if the trucks are worth buying or not.

Personally I could never buy a already lifted truck, the people that mod their trucks tend to drive them harder. Plus a lift wears out your drive line components, trans, possibly t-case, and to an extent the engine prematurely.

I wouldn't get either one, get the one with out the leather that cost the same amount but has 30k less miles. Its a truck, if you want nice leather and wood grain i say buy a Lincoln car. If you want something that is going to last get the lowest miles possible.

 

Ok so me, my girl, and her mom went to go test drive the 2006 yesterday and it kept on pulling to right. The truck was fine other than that. The only thing though my girl didn't like the feel of the truck it wasn't fitting her right so I took my girl's mom off to the side and told her what my girl really likes and that she really could take care of it and not have it take her over. So her mom is letting her go for a super duty finally so I am sorry for all your trouble but I just want my girl to have something good and what she really likes and needs.
Thanks for all your help though,
Trav